Suhas P Wani
International Crops Research Institute
for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
Patancheru 502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India
Livelihoods
 A livelihood comprises the capabilities
assets (including both material and social)
and activities require for a means of living.
A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope
with and recover from stresses and shocks,
maintain or enhance its capabilities and
assets, while not undermining the natural
resource-base.
What we are aiming?
 For sustainable development
 To achieve poverty elimination
 Without sacrificing future resources
Component Parts of Livelihoods
Resources
Livelihoods assets in Pow erguda Village
Activities
Fi nanc i al Capi t al
30
25
Strategies
20
15
10
Soc i al Capi t al
Human Capi t al
5
0
Nat ur al Capi t al
P hy s i c al Capi t al
Access
Institutions and
organizations
Social process and
structures
Policies, laws,
social relations
Current Status of Agriculture
Energy and Sustainable
development
Health and
Malnutrition-HIV
Food security
Water scarcity
Population growth
Poverty
Land degradation
Climate Change
Number of poverty–affected people living in
water-constrained, rainfed agricultural areas
The three circles indicate the occurrence of global hotspots where more than 100 million people may be
affected (Rockström & Karlberg, 2009).
Source: Barron and Keys 2011
Agriculture-based Livelihoods
 More complex
 Spread across the geographical areas
 Prone to impacts of externalities – vulnerable
to shocks
Source: Barron and Keys 2011
Rainfed Agriculture – A Large
Untapped Potential
 Current farmers’ yields are lower by 2 to 5 folds than the
achievable yields
 Vast potential of rainfed agriculture needs to be harnessed
8
6
Yield (t ha-1)
BW1
Carrying Capacity
21 persons ha-1
Rate of growth
82 kg ha-1 y-1
4
Carrying Capacity
4.6 persons ha-1
2
BW4C
Rate of growth
23 kg ha-1 y-1
0
1976
1979
1982
1985
1988
1991
1994
Year
1997
2000
2003
2006
2009
Agriculture–based
Livelihoods
Agriculture–based Livelihoods
Land holders
Children
Landless people
and Livestock
Women
Watershed Management: Engine of Agricultural
Growth and Development in Rainfed Areas
Watershed as entry point for:
Increasing productivity
Improving livelihoods
Protecting environment
Empowerment of poor
Social capital development
Watersheds are Revolutionalising Drylands:
Meta-analysis – 636 Case Studies
Particulars
Unit
No. of
studies
B:C ratio
Ratio
311
2.01
0.82
7.30
35.09
IRR
Per cent
162
27.43
2.03
102.70
21.75
Equity
Employment
Person
days ha-1 y-1
99
154.53
0.05
900.00
8.13
Sustainability
Increase in
irrigated area
Per cent
93
51.55
1.28
204.00
10.94
Increase in
cropping
intensity
Per cent
339
35.51
3.00
283.00
14.96
Runoff
reduced
Per cent
83
45.72
0.38
96.00
9.36
Soil loss saved
t ha-1 y-1
72
1.12
0.11
2.05
47.21
Efficiency
Mean
Minimum
Maximum
t-value
STEPs are holding back the potential
of watershed program in India
S = Sustainability
T = Technology inputs
E = Equity
P = Participation
 Less than 1% watersheds are economically non-remunerative
 Two-thirds of watersheds’ performance can be improved
Our Challenges
 Participation of villagers as individuals, as
groups or as a whole, increasing their
confidence, enabling their empowerment
and their ability to plan for the future and
for self-determination is needed
 For harnessing market potential to capture
scale of economies federation of groups,
villages is needed
 Tangible benefits to individuals for
promoting quality participation are must
 Targeted income-generation activities for
landless and women groups are needed
for improving livelihoods
Our Challenges
Contd..
 One size fits all approach did not work
and it should be a tool box approach
rather than straight jacketed approach
 It should be holistic approach for
improving livelihoods thru convergence,
capacity building, collective action and
consortium approach
 Community contributions in cash/kind for
construction of basic infrastructure for
better participation thru demand driven
interventions rather than supply driven
interventions
Our Challenges
Contd..
 Science-led development thru PR&D approach with a learning
approach for researchers, development workers and investors
 Involvement of private sector and should be a business model
approach in place of subsistence agriculture
 Market-led diversification of crops and sysems to achieve
higher economic returns
Shocks and Stresses of a Degraded
Indian Watershed
Management activities,
which interrupt the cycle of
soil degradation, and
encourage system stability/
resilience
Source: Barron and Keys 2011
Rehabilitated degraded CPRs
thru community involvement
NOVOD project: Novel initiative
Capacity Building is Must for Sustainable
and Increased Impact
ICT has Important Role in
Empowering Community




Seeing is believing
Community information hub
Audio video training material
VASAT
Be Aware of Limitations
 Not possible to improve livelihood of
everyone
 People like to exercise their own choices
for livelihood
 Potential opportunities only can be shown
 Sustaining livelihoods involve more and
separate issues from improving
livelihoods
Our Challenges
 How to maintain dynamic balance between policies
and actions?
 How to promote sustainable livelihoods for millions
of small-holder farmers?
 How to manage natural and physical environment
in a better manner?
 How to build resilience of the communities and
natural resources to changes in future including
due to climate change
Challenges to be Faced
assets
in Pow erguda
Villageimpact
How doLivelihoods
we improve
five capitals
and assess
Fi nanc i al Capi t al
30
25
20
15
Soc i al Capi t al
10
Human Capi t al
5
0
Nat ur al Capi t al
P hy s i c al Capi t al
Access –Institutions – Policies
and Laws
How to achieve following
Efficiency
Economic
gains
Equity
Environment
protection
Thank you!